Legends of Lightstorm Saga 1 Episode 2: Delusions of Grandeur
by Mutrox
Summary: Sailor Moon has encountered the ageless entity known as Jason Shepard. As she returns to her everyday life in the city, the Negaverse sets in motion a new plan to harvest energy. Sailor Moon must use her newfound training and abilities to defend her friends' lives, no matter the cost. Meanwhile, Jason encounters a strange being known as "Tuxedo Mask".
1. Recovery

Six days. Six days of agonizing pain. Six days since the ageless being known as Jason Shepard had been rediscovered in exile. Six days since Sailor Moon's first battle alongside him.

Serena moaned and rolled over in bed, trying desperately to ignore the aching in her limbs. She reached down and grabbed a handful of chips from a nearby bag, ignoring the crumbs falling into her sheets as she shoved the whole thing into her mouth. Briefly, she considered sneaking downstairs for something to drink, but couldn't bring herself to move.

"Honestly, Serena, I can't imagine how you can be eating at this hour," Luna scolded, glaring at Serena in the darkness.

"Food makes the hurting stop," Serena replied tiredly. Luna sighed, knowing it was no good to argue.

It hadn't been easy coming back to the city. After leaving the burning remains of Jason's house, Jason had led them through the forest. Luckily, Serena still had a few traces of energy in her system, so they made it back to the road without too much difficulty. From there they had hiked along the side of the road for a few more hours, striving toward the city.

Eventually, Jason managed to flag down a passing car. The driver was a middle-aged man who wanted to know what they were doing so far away from civilization. Jason smoothly informed him that they were lost hikers who had been searching for help. The man accepted this story, although he raised an eyebrow at Jason and Serena's age differences. Agelessness suited Jason's appearance well, but it was unsettling and confusing for bystanders when they tried to guess his age.

Serena slept peacefully in the driver's back seat, while Jason sat in the passenger seat, keeping a close eye on the driver. Something about him seemed to make the man restless, so he drove quickly to the city and didn't ask too many questions. The ride was silent and eventful, and in time the lights of the city appeared on the horizon.

The driver dropped them off in a quiet section of town. With directions from Luna, Jason escorted a half-asleep Serena back to her house. Then he disappeared into the night without another word. Neither Serena nor Luna had seen him since.

Every muscle in Serena's body ached unbearably. The fight had been fiercer than any she had ever faced. Hours before that, she had trained with the most intense teacher she had ever encountered. And hours before that, she had hiked through the woods in search of the mysterious individual. She wasn't used to this kind of physical punishment, and now it was taking its toll. Tired as she was, the pain wouldn't let her sleep. It had barely let her sleep during the past few days, and it didn't seem to be subsiding. But food seemed to help ease her suffering. With that in mind, she shoved some more ships into her mouth and turned over.

Luna watched in silence. She thought about telling Serena to clean up the mess she was making, but decided it was pointless. She thought for a moment. Jumping up on Serena's bed, she whispered quietly, "You know, I bet Tuxedo Mask would have been proud of you the other day."

Within seconds, Serena had drifted off into a blissful slumber filled with wonderful dreams of things that had been and things that may yet be.

===

Far away, in another dimension, dark eyes were peering into Serena's world. A dark queen smiled to herself, as she mentally calculated the final piece of her latest plan.


	2. Preparations

Serena raced down the street, fighting to ignore the pain in her legs. "Man! This is the third time this week!" she wheezed, trying to run faster. Failing, she stopped and leaned against a wall, momentarily out of breath. "I wonder if my 'crowded sidewalk' excuse will still work." She glanced at the part of the wall she was leaning against. "Huh?" She removed her hand. It was a poster advertising Depthcharge Energy Drinks. Apparently the company had just gotten a new spokeswoman named Saffron.

"Don't look, just run!" A hand grabbed Serena's arm, pulling her into a run.

"Thanks a lot, Molly!" Serena yelled, trying not to trip.

A few minutes later, Serena sat in her desk massaging her arm.

"Sorry about that," Molly apologized. "I panicked. I'm not used to being late."

"Hey, guys!" Serena groaned internally. It was Melvin, resident nerd and all-around annoyance at Serena's school. "Check it out!" He proudly held up a poster with Saffron on it.

"Nice, Melvin. Which building did you steal it off of?" Serena replied, still rubbing her arm.

"I didn't! They sent it to me free when I got a Platinum membership in the Official Saffron Fan Club!"

"Saffron has a fan club?" Molly asked confusedly.

Melvin must have been waiting for that question, because he whipped out his phone with the fan club homepage already open. He held it up so Molly and Serena could see. "Behold, every bit of information you could want on advertising's newest star! Look." He pulled the phone back and entered a few commands. "Her first role netted her $5 million, and I haven't even mentioned her current contract!"

"$5 million?" Serena momentarily wondered how many clothes that could buy.

"You could be a superstar, you know." Oddly, he sounded like he meant it.

"Me? A superstar?" Serena imagined it. "Cool!"

###

In another part of the city, Luna crept through a narrow alley, carefully avoiding a patch of fetid garbage. Trying not to gag, she pressed on, her sharp eyes searching carefully. She jumped over a wire fence and kept going.

After the third day back, Luna had grown increasingly worried about Jason's absence. She had been hoping that he would at least stop by the house to check on Serena and maybe even give her some more pointers. But the man never showed, nor had he left any way to contact him. So for the last few days, while Serena was away at school, Luna had made it her mission to track him down. And now it appeared she had succeeded.

Luna stared ahead to an abandoned building. Unsurprising. Even in a city filled with amazing people, Jason isolated himself. Then again, he had no money and nowhere to live. And abandoned buildings could make excellent hideouts.

Inside the building, Jason had demolished the staircase. Luna had been half-expecting this. Looking around, she spotted a very subtle configuration of garbage, building materials, and landscape that led up into the building. Interesting. Only a skilled traceur or the owner of a very tall ladder could make it inside.

Half an hour later, Luna crawled, exhausted, into the part of the building that Jason was apparently in. She paused to catch her breath. When she recovered, she saw the cause of Jason's absence.

The large room had been cleared of debris and swept clean. Several work tables had been set up in various places, some containing weapons, others containing less recognizable objects. Propped up against a concrete pillar was a wooden target with several shurikens embedded in it. In one corner was a patch of old newspapers partially covered by a tarp.

Jason stood at one of the tables. Now he was dressed in a plain T-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. Next to him on the table was a simple prepaid Smartphone. In his hands was another shuriken, one that he appeared to be in the process of sharpening.

After a moment, Jason stopped and put the shuriken down. "I thought you'd find this place sooner."

Luna walked out of the shadows. She hadn't made a sound. "How on earth did you know I was there?"

"Someone had tuna for breakfast."

It was true. "Fair enough." Luna jumped up on the table and studied the shuriken. "Don't you have enough of these bloody things?"

"I lost most of them during the fight." Jason whirled around and threw the shuriken with blinding speed. The weapon buried itself in the bullseye of the wooden target.

"Well, you haven't lost your touch, that's for sure."

"Do you have a reason for disturbing me?"

"Yes. I didn't bring you back so you could hide in a run-down building and ignore the world. Serena needs you, and you have to be there for her."

Jason pulled the shuriken out of the target, thrusting it into his pocket. "She seems competent enough to me."

"Only because you were there. She has a thing for…" Luna searched for the right word. "For… people like you. Believe me, it makes a difference."

"There's a reason I stopped fighting, Luna. We got lucky, but I was poorly equipped and unprepared. I don't plan on making that mistake again."

"Have you tried transforming?"

Jason gave Luna a cold look. Without breaking eye contact, he concentrated. Energy crackled across his skin, but died almost instantly, leaving him unchanged.

"I'm… I'm sorry I asked." Luna thought of something. "Perhaps I could get you a Transformation Assistance Generator! Serena's works quite nicely-"

"Even at the height of their power, the Remnants couldn't build a TAG that could handle my altered physiology. Not that my body needed one."

Luna had to concede that point. "True. But what if you said your old incantation? If nothing else, it might focus your concentration."

"You know the incantation only activates the TAG. I've tried every variation of the transformation, and nothing works, Luna. Which is why I'm refreshing my other skills." He picked up two other shurikens from the workbench to emphasize his words.

Luna watched him test the sharpness of the weapons. "I would just feel better if we could reach you. You never know when Serena might need your help." She padded over to Jason Smartphone. After memorizing its number, she entered Serena's number into Jason's contacts. "And whenever you get the chance, try to see about working with Serena some more. She can use all the training you can pass on."

"I'll keep that in mind."

###

At that very moment, in another part of the city, a woman was showering.

The woman's name was Saffron. She was taking a lunch break between shoots, and had felt the need to freshen up. Hot showers worked wonders toward that end, but she wouldn't have been so relaxed if she had noticed the bathroom door slowly gliding open.

Suddenly the shower curtain flew back. Saffron spun around in surprise.

A superhumanly strong hand pinned her against the shower wall before she could scream. "Found you!" the thing shouted triumphantly. Grey mucus gushed from its mouth, trapping Saffron.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!"

The monster grabbed her forehead, its claws digging into her skin. Before Saffron's terrified eyes, the thing began twisting, melting, rearranging its own body until it looked exactly like her. "Pleasant dreams." The monster struck the side of her neck, and everything went black.


	3. Exercises in Futility

"What if we got super good at sports?" Serena asked, swinging a tennis racquet.

"Nah. There are plenty of those out there," Molly replied, bored.

As soon as the word "superstar" had been uttered aloud, fantasies of stardom had erupted in Serena's mind. It hadn't taken long for Molly to get interested, and the two decided to put their heads together. After a boring day at school, they had returned to Serena's house to brainstorm in her room.

"I know!" Molly exclaimed suddenly. She pulled out her Smartphone. "Viral video! We'll just do something we're good at, go viral, and we'll be famous!"

"But what could we do that would get noticed!"

"Let's try singing!" Molly replied excitedly.

Oh, bloody hell, Luna thought to herself. She had overheard Serena singing in the shower once. Once was enough.

Molly set her phone to record and propped it up. Serena switched on some music.

What followed could only be described as aural hemorrhaging. Luna tried in vain to cover her ears to block out the noise. And to think, she could be using this time to train, she thought, irritated.

It seemed for go on forever. Serena and Molly tried several songs, and each sounded worse than the last. Things only worsened when Serena accidentally stepped on Molly's foot. Soon they were arguing, and as Luna watched, Molly stormed from the room, vowing to become famous on her own.

"Well, that went well," Luna commented as soon as she was sure Molly was gone.

Serena angrily collapsed on the bed. "I'll show her! I'll be twice as famous as her in half the time!"

"Yes, and you're doing a wonderful job of it so far."

Serena had an idea. She pulled out her own Smartphone. Aiming it toward Luna, she said "Do something cute!"

Jason silently finished repairing the mechanism and closed the panel. The weapon wasn't functioning properly, a fact which irritated Jason, though he concealed it well. He slid the device onto his forearm and looked around for a target.

He had gotten very little sleep during the past week. The city was nothing like the woods, and the constant hum and roar of technology made it hard to rest after living in isolation for so long. To pass the time, Jason had explored the city, collected resources, established a base of operations, and started building equipment.

The hard part wasn't designing the equipment. No, he had built similar devices many years ago, and had an excellent memory. The problem was remaking everything from the ground up with materials far weaker than what he had had access to before. It had taken many hours of machining and fine-tuning to get what he needed, it still wasn't working.

As he searched for a target, Jason paused for a moment and took a good look at his new home. The work tables were cluttered with metal and paper. Scraps of metal littered the floor, crunching underfoot. In one corner, his weapons were stored on a pair racks, ready for use. Jason saw everything he had made for himself, and was, for a brief moment, repulsed by it.

He didn't often allow himself to think such thoughts, but his mind flashed back. Back to the way he used to be, all those years ago, before… If he could somehow recover, he wouldn't have to worry about his weapons, or fragility, or survival anymore. If only…

Jason drew in a breath. He quietly uttered his old incantation and concentrated hard. A stinging sensation ran through his body, and energy crackled along his skin has before. But once again, nothing happened.

Silently he cursed himself. He knew he had reason to expect anything different, but it hurt all the same. He felt his thoughts about to turn toward her, but he didn't allow it. Unable to summon the energy to even curse her, he whipped around and shot the weapon at an almost-empty table, knocking it over. The successful test was a victory in itself, but Jason couldn't bring himself to enjoy it. Wordlessly, he retracted the bolt and went back to work.

"No, no, it's gotta be cuter!"

Irritated, Luna rolled over and sat up. "I've had just about enough of this nonsense!"

Serena didn't stop recording. "Do that thing with your paw again, only slower."

"I thought the point was to make _you_ famous!" Luna said indignantly.

"Trust me, once this goes viral, I'll be famous for being your owner, and then we'll go from there."

Luna gave up trying to argue. She had never missed the old days, but now she was starting to. At least she had never had to put up with things like this. Strangely, she found herself almost wishing the Negaverse would attack.

Almost.

Elsewhere in the city, Jadeite and his companion had almost finished preparations. It hadn't been hard to integrate into their new roles. Human computers were surprisingly simple to manipulate, and everything was almost in place. Jadeite blinked, his new eye stinging. He sincerely hoped the Mistake would show his face soon. Now that he knew his foe was powerless, crushing his skull would be even sweeter.


	4. The Harvest

Jadeite stood in front of a makeshift stage, trying not to think about how ridiculous he looked. Human clothing had never suited him, and every time he wore some his skin crawled and itched madly. But at least the glasses contained a small device that helped relieve the pain in his new eye. Struggling to suppress his distaste, he switched on the microphone.

He was standing in front of a makeshift stage dressed in a suit. Behind him on the stage was his companion, flawlessly disguised as Saffron. It was time to launch Queen Beryl's latest operation.

Jadeite introduced his companion to the large crowd in front of him. His companion, in turn, announced a star search contest to be hosted shortly. He noticed with irritation that her voice was an octave too high, and thought about yelling at her about it later. As it was, he flipped a hidden switched and waited.

Hidden generators began projecting a psychic suggestibility field. As Jadeite watched, the higher cognitive functions of the humans were redirected, making them more suitable to be harvested. Jadeite permitted himself a small smile of satisfaction.

Word of the contest spread faster than wildfire. People affected by the generators began to search for partners. At Serena's school, rumor had it that Molly had teamed up with Melvin after dumping Serena. Regardless, the competition began to get ugly.

At last it was time for the contest. Serena ran down the sidewalk, with Luna pursuing her.

"Are you sure this is such a good idea?" she asked.

"Sure it is! This new routine's guaranteed to win!"

"I'm still not sure what you want me to do!"

"Just sit there and look cute. Let me do the rest."

"Then why am I even going?"

"The contest says we have to have partners, but the rules don't say they have to-"

"Going somewhere, Meatball-Head?"

Serena stopped dead in her tracks. Before she even turned around, she knew who it was.

Darien Shields. The tall, dark-haired resident of the city was as annoying as he was handsome. Serena knew little about him, but she seemed to run into him just slightly too often for it to be a coincidence. What she did know is that he had a way of irritating her to the point of screaming with only a few words, and those few words often included the nickname "Meatball-Head". Serena hated him.

"None of your business, you overgrown creep!" she snapped.

"Shouldn't you be over at the talent show?" Darien replied coolly. "I bet they don't have an act that involves tripping over things."

"GET LOST!" Serena dug into her pocket and threw a crumpled-up piece of paper at him. It bounced harmlessly off his chest. She turned and stormed away. Darien watched her go, mildly amused.

"Well, I'm proud of you for handling that calmly and maturely," Luna commented when they were out of earshot.

"I could just punch him in his stupid mouth!" Serena fumed.

"Be that as it may, aren't you late for something?"

"Oh, right." Serena fished into her other pocket, pulling out another crumpled piece of paper. She read the address out loud.

"Didn't that place close down a few months ago?" Luna asked suspiciously.

Serena studied the paper. "Yeah, it did."

"I think you'd better call Jason. This could be a Negaverse trap."

Serena pulled out her phone. Finding Jason's number in her contacts, she called him and told him everything that had happened.

There was a sound of paper rustling on the other end. It sounded like Jason was smoothing out a map. After a minute, he curtly said, "Understood." Then he hung up without saying goodbye.

The once-abandoned building's theater stank of sweat, adrenaline, and anxiety. The crowd of brainwashed innocents lured by promises of material wealth shifted restlessly backstage. Among the faces in the multitude were Molly and Melvin, but no one noticed them as the monster disguised as Saffron entered, its mission nearing completion.

"This is it, everyone!" the monster announced, its voice now at the correct pitch. "This is your big night!" Surreptitiously, it modified the building's suggestibility field, causing the afflicted humans to imagine they were hearing applause. The humans began to react, their minds overrun with desire.

"Now go out there and give it your all!" The curtain rose. As the excited human's watched, the field interacted with their occipital lobes, giving them the illusion of an audience. Encouraged, the humans began acting out their "acts" all at once. The monster switched on the building's energy collection device and watched in amusement.

Serena crept through the halls of the building, every sense straining for the slightest hint of danger. Beside her, Luna padded silently, wondering when backup would arrive. Jason was skilled in navigating new territory, but she worried about how soon he would be able to find the building in such a large city.

Up ahead, noise from the building's theater caught Serena's attention. Carefully she crept forward and peered in the door. The sight beheld almost made her heart stop.

The monster impersonating Saffron had taken off its disguise. It stood in the center aisle, openly laughing at the spectacle onstage. Every human that had managed to force his or her way inside the building was performing an act, most of them rather poorly. They looked more like the residents of a mental institution than they did the normal, everyday people they had been before. In the back of Serena's mind, she noticed Molly and Melvin entranced in the midst of the thrall. But she couldn't take her eyes off the monster.

"Serena!" Luna scolded over the noise.

Serena managed to tear herself away from the door. She ran down the hallway, forcing Luna to chase her.

"I can't do this!" she cried, pausing to catch her breath around a corner. She seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"Get a hold of yourself, Serena!" Luna snapped. "You are Sailor Moon, sworn to protect the innocent! And those people in there need your help!"

Serena wiped her eyes. "I don't know if I can fight that thing alone."

"Jason's on his way, but he won't get here in time. It's up to you save those innocent people!"

"Okay." Serena stood up. "MOON PRISM POWER!"

Not far away, a man was sitting in his apartment. He set down his ice-cold lemonade and focused his attention on the TV. After a long day, nothing felt as good as relaxing and catching up on the latest episode of "Indirect Current".

Suddenly, his entire body spasmed. His limbs thrashed out uncontrollably, knocking over his drink. A guttural cry was torn from his throat as his body began rearranging its structure against his will.

A millisecond later, it was over. The man was gone, replaced by a new, more powerful man ready for war. The new figure paused for a moment, opened the door to the balcony, his destination locked into his very being.

In another part of the city, another figure dressed in black sat atop a stolen motorcycle. The bike cruised smoothly through the streets of the city, expertly weaving between obstacles to reach its destination. The rider pressed the bike faster, knowing he was needed. It had been many years since he had ridden a vehicle this powerful, but all of his skill came flooding back to him as he sped through the night. Sailor Moon, the one being in the universe who may be able to fix everything, had called him in her hour of need, and as he shot through the city streets, he swore he wouldn't allow such an innocent to die. Not tonight.

**Coming soon: Triple-Team**


	5. Triple-Team

The monster watched the humans siphon their energy into its machine, laughing at its own success. Humans were so easily manipulated, and their antics gave it pleasure. Jadeite, and maybe even Queen Beryl herself, would surely reward it handsomely.

"Your act is canceled, Nega-Creep!"

The monster whipped around. In the doorway stood a backlit figure. "Who are you?" the monster challenged.

"I am Sailor Moon, champion of justice!" the figured shouted heroically. "On behalf of the Moon, I will right wrongs and triumph over evil, and that means you!"

With a feral roar, the monster charged. Mucus gushed out of its maw like a fire hose, barely missing Serena as it crashed through the door into the hallway. Serena ducked outside, falling back and sucking in a breath.

The monster burst through the door.

"! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !"

The sonic scream blasted the monster back, sending it flying down the hallway. Serena pulled her tiara off her forehead, running after it. She didn't let herself think about what was coming.

Serena chased the monster into a run-down area of the building, blasting it with everything she had. The monster soared into the air, roaring in pain. Freezing vapor rushed out of its mouth. Serena dashed to the side, throwing her tiara. The weapon struck the monster in the mouth, stunning it. Serena sent it crashing into the opposite wall with another sonic scream.

The monster growled in anger. Gathering its strength, it picked up a heavy desk and threw it at Serena. Serena panicked. Dropping to a crouch, she threw her tiara. The desk disintegrated into harmless dust. The monster slammed into her, knocking her off her feet. Its claws raked across her ribcage, spilling blood.

A boomerang flew out of the shadows, striking the monster's head. The monster turned, baring its fangs. Something collided with its face, sending it flying. A figure dressed in black front-flipped over the monster's flying body, landing feet-first. The figure twisted around, staff in hand, and dashed forward.

Jason was completely covered in black, save for the smallest openings for his eyes. His body was encased in a tough, black material that flexed and breathed with his movements, yet protected him from all but the strongest of impacts. On his forearms was a pair of grapple gauntlets that ejected sharp hooks at high speed, allowing him to grapple effortlessly as he maneuvered. In his grip was his hand-forged metal staff, flying so fast it was nearly invisible as he faced down the monster.

Serena summoned her tiara. Ignoring the pain lancing down her side, she forced herself to her feet and threw the weapon. The monster dodged the shot, unleashing a blast of ice. Jason grappled away, throwing a pair of shurikens with his left hand. The unnaturally powerful weapons slashed the monsters face, causing it to howl in pain.

Summoning the tiara, Serena screamed, forcing the monster back. The beast held its ground and fired its ice power. Serena dashed to the side, throwing the tiara again. The monster rushed out of the way, firing a blast of ice in Serena's direction.

A heavy metal barb embedded itself in the monster's face. Before it could react it was pulled to the side. Jason's staff crashed into its head, knocking it away.

Enraged, the monster rushed Jason, grabbing him. Its massive hand slammed him into the wall, knocking the staff from his hand. Serena grabbed her tiara and drew her arm back. Jason pulled out a combat knife. Before the monster could freeze him he plunged it into the thing's flesh.

The monster's grip faltered. Jason fired a grapple gauntlet, pulling himself away just in time to avoid its ice blast. Serena threw her weapon, striking the monster. The monster roared furiously. Reaching out, it tore two huge chunks from a pair of concrete pillars. The chunks flew through the air. Jason lunged away, barely avoiding being crushed. Serena jumped to the side. A piece of the chunk grazed her, knocking her to the ground.

Something flew through the air, slashing the monster's neck. The monster dropped to its knees, fighting the pain. "I've disabled your energy collection array, Negaverse scum!" A voice boomed. "Your time on this earth has ended!" Everyone looked up.

Standing high above the battle was tall, elegant figure dressed in a tuxedo. His head was protected by nothing but a top hat and a small white mask over his eyes. In one gloved hand was a gentleman's cane, and in the other was the reddest rose ever seen.

"Tuxedo Mask…" Serena breathed reverently. Instantly the pain in her side vanished.

Jason stared hard at the masked figure. Almost without realizing it, he tightened his grip on the knife and drew a special pair of shurikens.

Gathering its power, the monster flew into the air. Tuxedo Mask effortlessly danced to the side, causing the monster to crash into the steel girder. Gracefully landing on his feet, Tuxedo Mask pulled out some more roses and launched them at the beast.

"Isn't he amazing?" Serena said rapturously.

Jason retrieved his staff and boomerang. Dashing forward, he threw the shurikens.

The specialized weapons exploded, blasting chunks from the monster's body. Recovering, Serena threw her tiara. The weapon struck the vulnerable flesh underneath the monster's thick hide, causing it to scream in agony.

Tuxedo Mask unleashed a flurry of razor-sharp roses, slicing through the monster's body. The monster covered its face, blindly charging, hoping to overpower its enemy. Tuxedo Mask calmly stepped to the right. The monster crashed through a solid wall, landing in the employee parking lot outside.

Jason swung through the hole, landing and rolling into a crouch. Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Moon dashed through the dust behind him, weapons ready.

The monster whirled to face them. Jason threw a pair of shurikens. The projectiles embedded themselves in its eyes, blinding it. The monster screamed, unleashing its ice weapon. The heroes dodged the blast. Jason threw an explosive shuriken into its face, knocking it back and blowing its face off. Tuxedo Mask threw a rose into the air, severing a nearby high tension wire. The deadly cable fell. Tuxedo Mask extended his cane and deflected it into the monster. The heavy wire whipped through the air, lodging in one of the monster's wounds. Electrical current shot through its body into the ground, holding it in place.

"Destroy it Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Mask ordered.

Focusing all of her strength into her arm, Serena threw the tiara at the monster.

The weapon struck the monster in the chest. Before their eyes, the monster disintegrated into a fine dust, leaving nothing but the hanging wire where it had stood only moments before. Silence descended.

"WHOO-HOO! WE DID IT!" Serena shouted happily, pumping a fist in victory.

Neither Jason nor Tuxedo Mask joined her. Their thoughts were elsewhere. Their eyes shifted toward each other, meeting.

With blinding speed, each warrior raised his weapons and dropped into a combat stance, ready to destroy the other.


	6. Enemy of My Enemy

"What are you doing!?" Serena asked in astonishment, clutching her side.

They both ignored her. "Identify yourself!" Tuxedo Mask ordered.

"Lower your weapons," Jason responded, not moving.

"Who are you and what is your business with Sailor Moon?"

"Give an answer for yourself first."

"Don't force me to take you out!"

"You are welcome to try."

"ENOUGH!" Serena forced herself between them, forgetting her battle wound. "Both of you, take a chill pill! Tuxedo Mask, this is Lightstorm. He used to fight for the Moon Kingdom. Lightstorm, this is Tuxedo Mask. He's a good guy, too."

Jason's eyes narrowed. "Step away," he instructed.

"Huh? Why?"

"I know the designations of every Silver Millennium Justice Champion, and 'Tuxedo Mask' isn't one of them."

"Why didn't you die during the destruction of the Moon Kingdom?" Tuxedo Mask challenged. "If you really fought for them that makes you either a deserter or a traitor!"

"How convenient that you happened to arrive to help us even though no one called you," Jason observed, ignoring the accusation. "How could you know we were being attacked unless you were a part of it?"

"Tuxedo Mask isn't from the Negaverse!" Serena declared, feeling the pain in her side rise momentarily.

"Has he ever helped you before?"

"Um, yeah."

"Have you ever called him?"

"Well… no…"

"And you don't think that's suspicious?"

"Attempting to cover your treachery by diverting attention," Tuxedo Mask stated coolly. "At least show us enough respect to admit your guilt!"

"I won't admit to something I never did," Jason spat. Unconsciously he ground his teeth slightly.

"Why are you fighting!?" Serena yelled at them. "You're on the same team!"

"Your plan is working, _Tuxedo Mask_," Jason said angrily. "At least I was called before I came to this city. What's your excuse?"

"I fight with Sailor Moon because it's right!" Tuxedo Mask almost yelled. "What possible reason do you have?" Jason said nothing.

Serena groaned in pain. Tuxedo Mask glanced down, noticing for the first time she was bleeding. In his surprise he lowered his weapons. Without taking his eyes from Tuxedo Mask, Jason slowly did the same.

"Here. Let me see," Tuxedo Mask said urgently. He helped Serena sit before dropping to one knee and examining the wound. "She needs to get to a hospital!" he yelled at Jason.

"There's no time," Jason stated, inspecting the wound with an expert eye. "She's lost too much blood. She'll be dead before we get there." Even as he spoke, Serena's eyes closed. "Apply pressure to that wound and hold it," Jason ordered. Before Tuxedo Mask could argue, he turned and grappled away into the darkness.

A moment later he returned with a medical kit from his motorcycle. "Sterilize," he ordered, handing Tuxedo Mask a pack of disinfectant gel. Tuxedo Mask took it without question. The gel flowed into the wound, cleansing it instantly.

Jason pulled out a binding tool. With help from Tuxedo Mask, he bound the separated flesh together, fusing it into place. The tool made a quiet humming noise as it knitted the wound in a manner not seen on Earth for centuries.

At last the procedure was finished. Tuxedo Mask took her pulse. "She's still alive. Barely."

"It's a good thing she passed out when she did. I'm out of pain-numbing meds."

"She needs to produce more blood. We should take her home."

"Agreed." Jason put away the tools. Clipping the kit to his belt, he reached down and picked Serena up in a fireman's carry, ignoring Tuxedo Mask's disapproval. Taking care not to jostle Serena too much, he broke into a smooth run in the direction of her house. Tuxedo Mask followed closely, never taking his eyes from the stranger in black.

It seemed to take hours, but they finally made it to Serena's house. Fortunately, Serena's family had gone to bed without her, leaving dinner on the counter. Jason stood guard while Tuxedo Mask picked the lock on the back door. Luna watched anxiously from atop a nearby fence. After the battle, she had found them heading home with an unconscious Serena. Despite assurances that she would live, Luna wasn't taking chances.

Jason and Tuxedo Mask maneuvered silently through Serena's house. Tuxedo Mask placed her in bed while Jason retrieved some fluids. Then they took turns holding her upright and pouring the liquid down her throat, careful not to let it enter her lungs.

"We need to power her down," Tuxedo Mask noted.

"I can do that." Luna jumped up on the bed. She faced Serena's TAG. Concentrating hard, Luna activated her crescent emblem on her forehead. A yellow beam projected outward, interfacing with the TAG. Within seconds, Serena had reverted to her Ground State.

"You two can go now," Luna told them quietly. "I'll watch over her."

A minute later, Jason and Tuxedo Mask walked out the back door into Serena's backyard.

"She's fortunate that Sailor Scouts have a small degree of increased durability," Tuxedo Mask commented.

"It's also fortunate that I was trained as a field medic," Jason added, watching Tuxedo Mask.

"I don't know who you are, Lightstorm, but remember this: My alliance to Sailor Moon is absolute. Harm her, and you'll answer to me."

"A pity you didn't feel that way about those innocents in the theater. We could have lost over 100 lives today."

"Someone should have found them by now. I disabled their energy collection mechanism before they were drained completely, but a Negaverse agent managed to escape with the energy they had already collected."

"I'm sure there was nothing you could have done."

Tuxedo Mask's eyes narrowed behind his mask. "You appear to be against the Negaverse like Sailor Moon and myself. Does that make you an ally or a self-serving third party?"

"I fight them out of necessity. That's all that matters."

"I think it matters a lot what your intentions are."

"The same goes for you. I haven't seen any evidence to convince me that you're not a Negaverse agent."

"You'll just have to take my word for it." Tuxedo Mask glanced back toward the house. "We should go. Our business here is done."

"I agree."

After taking one last glance around the property, Tuxedo Mask strode to the gate and swept out. Jason watched him go, considering some things. Then he turned, vaulted over a fence, and vanished into the night.

**The saga continues in Legends of Lightstorm #3**


End file.
